Card printer



De 3, 1935. M, F, F D N 2,023,130

CARD PRINTER Filed Oct. 30, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIE. 'I

Z IN VEN TOR. Car/ F Fr/den ATTORNEYS. V

Dec. 3, 1935. "c. M. F. FRIDEN 2,023,130

" CARD PRINTER Fiied 0ct..so, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 79 77 2/ INVENTORQCar/ Fr/defl ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 3, 1935.

c}. M. F. FRIEIJEN 2,023,130

CARD PRINTER Filed 0st. 30, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet F'IE E INVENTOR. Car/ M.F Fr/dzrr Dec. 3, 1935. r FRlDEN 2,023,130

CARD PRINTER Filed ocp. 50, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 F I [E 4L STAMP THISmo upmus sw: FRONT. v

FIE E /05 Carl M. F Fr/dzn Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES cam)rnm'rnn Carl M. F. Frlden, Piedmont, Galiih, aslignor to Kenneth 8.Thomson, Oakland, Calif an Application October so, 1931, Serlal No.571,911 1 4 Claims. (01. 101-287) My invention relates to recordingdevices and primarily to devices for recording indicia. such asindications of time upon a sheet-or other suitable indicia receiver.

It is an object of my invention to provide means for imprinting asuitable indicium or suitable indicia upon a sheet such as a card.

Another object of my invention is to provide a card printer which willautomatically imprint upon a card or other sheet in a desired orpredetermined location.

Another object of my invention is to fix the location of a card, withregard to matter to be imprinted thereon.

it Another object of my invention is to provide a card printer adaptedto operate upon the insertion of a card therein to'provide an imprintupon the card.

A further object of my invention is to prevent an more than one imprinton the card for one insertion thereof into the machine.

An additional object of my invention is to provide a card printer whichwill print consecutively a number of indicia in a predetermined andfixed 25 order and arrangement.

The foregoing and other objects are attained in the embodiment of theinvention shown in the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a cross section ona vertical longi- 30 tudinal plane of a card printer constructed inaccordance with my invention, certain portions being showndiagrammatically and other portions being broken away to increase theclarity of the disclosure.

35 Figure 2 is a cross section, the planes of which base 2| is a housing22 which not only provides are indicated by the lines 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross section, the plane of which is indicated by thelines 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a plan of a card suitable for use 40 in connection with thecard printer of my invention.

Figure 5 is a schematic showing of an arrangement of printing wheelssuitable for use in my card printer. v 45 Figure 6 shows an alternativeform of arrangement of the printing wheels.

In its preferred form, the card printer of my invention includesmechanism for imprinting on a card which is introduced into the machineand 50 comprises means for fixing the position or arresting the movementof the cardentering the machine and holding the card while a singleimprint is made thereon and likewise includes means for conditioning thecard for asubsequent im- 55 print.

Although the card printer of my invention is adapted to a number ofvariations and is susceptible to use in a number ofdiiferent environments, I have chosen to describe it herein as it is utilized inconnection with the imprinting of 5 time indicia on a card substantiallyof the character shown in Figure 4. The card comprises a sheet 6 usuallyof paper or any other suitable material and is usually of rectangularshape bounded by side edges 1 and 8 and by a top edge 10 9 and a. bottomedge H. customarily the card is previously imprinted in columnar form toprovide a plurality of areas l2 for the reception of the desiredindicia. and is likewise provided with additional areas such as l3 and il for the reception of additional indicia. Preferably spaced from theside edge 8 is a ruling It to bound a marginal area H which is designedto be provided with or to receive irregularities which play an importantpart in the operation of my card printer. In the present instance, theirregularity takes the form of .an aperture I 8 which is located withinthe marginal'area I l and is positioned therein at a given distance fromor at a predetermined location with respect to initial area I2 designedto receive the first impression, such as Hi. When the card is initiallyprepared for use in the card printer of my invention, not only are thevarious areas l2 and I1 established, but likewise one irregularity I 8is provided in a fixed relationship to the first or uppermost area I 2'.

The card printer which operates on the card 6 comprises a base 2| of anysuitable character which will serve as a framework and a mounting forthe mechanism. Removably secured to the an enclosure for the mechanism,but likewise supports a guide 23 which establishes a predetermined pathfor insertion of the card Ii into the device. The guide 23 is preferablyfabricated of a sheet of metal or other suitable material andestablishes an elongated enclosure flared at its entrance 24, The guide23 extends for almost the entire depth of the machine and issufficiently long to accommodate substantially the entire length, of thecard 3. The guide is of such width as to receive the cardfreely withoutundue side play.

As the card is inserted into the guide 23 and advances along the pathpredetermined thereby the leading or lower edge ll of the card firstengages a lever 3i pivoted at 32 on the guide 23 and having an arm 33biased by a spring 34 so that the lever is urged to rotate about the pin32 to project the other arm 36 of the lever into the path of the cardthrough a pair of apertures 31 and 38 56 in the walls of the guide 23.Normally the arm 36 bears against one arm 4| of a lever 42 pivoted as at43 on the guide 23 so that the arm 4| normally is held in the positionshown in Figure 1. In this position, a finger 44 fastened to the arm 4|is held out of the path of the card entering the guide, but as theleading edge of the card rotates the arm 36 out of its normal position,the biasing action of the lever 3| on the lever 42 is removed and thearm 4| rotates about the pin 43, under the bias of a spring 46 fastenedto the other arm 41 of the lever 42 and also fastened to a pin 46 on theframework of the machine, thus projecting the finger 44 into the guide23. Since the spring 46 is inferior to the spring 34, it normally cannotovercome the bias of the spring 34 but only upon the subordination ofthe arm 36 by the inserted card is the spring 46 effective to projectthe finger 44.

As the card is advanced into the guide and after the card has forced thearm 36 from its path of advancement, the finger 44 bears against thematerial of the card and rides thereover until such time as the fingerengages the irregularity It in the card, in this instance an aperture.Since the aperture I3 is of a suflicient size to accommodate the finger44, the spring 46 urges the finger 44 therethru and thereby accuratelypositions the card 1 in place and holds it against accidentaldislodgment. Since the card is held stationary in a selected orientationby the finger 44 in engagement therewith thru the aperture I6, Ipreferably provide means for imprinting upon the card in a predeterminedlocation with respect to the aperture I8.

To this end, the arm 41 at its lower end carries a pivot pin 5| on whicha lever 52 is mounted. The lever 52 is provided with a stop 53 normallyengaging the arm 41 under the urgency of a spring 54 fastened to the arm41 and to the lever 52. At its extremity the lever 52 is provided with ablock 56 which is adapted to engage a movable arm 51 at one end pivotedas at 58 on the framework of the mechanism and at its other end carryinga movable contact 59. The lever 51 is normally held against a stop pin6| by means of a spring 62 fastened to the pin 48 and to the lever 51.The contact 59 is included in an electric circuit through the lever 51by means of a lead 63 extending to a suitable source of electromotiveforce. As the spring 46 rotates the lever 42 about the pin 43 and. thefinger 44 engages through the aperture l8 in the card 6,,the block 56contacts the lever 51 and against the urgency of the spring 62forces'the lever 51 away from the stop pin 6| so that contact59 isplaced in abutment with a stationary contact 64 mounted on but insulatedfrom the support of the lever 51. Contact 64 is connected by a lead 66to an elec tromagnetic coil 61 from which the circuit is completed tothe source of electromotive force by a lead 68.

When contacts 59 and 64 are in abutment the circuit is closed throughthe electromagnetic coil 61 and a magnetic flux is establishedthroughout a field piece 69 mounted on the base 2| and suitably formedto provide a central passageway ture 31 in the guide 23 and to press acard therein against one or more type wheels 93 or other suitableindicia imprinting members.

The type wheels can be of any desired form and in any desiredarrangement customary for imprinting and in the present instance thereare shown five type wheels arranged on a shaft 84. These type wheels areactuated by any suitable mechanism which forms no part of the presentinvention and therefore is not described herein in detail. Although notshown, there is likewise provided, if desired, any suitable ribbon orother mechanism for inking the type wheels 83.

When the coil 61 is energized, the core 12 is drawn into the passage 1|and the lost motion afforded by the elongated slot 14 is taken up sothat the arm 11 of the bell crank 18 is rotated clockwise, as seen inFigure 1, and carries with it the arm 8| of the bell crank so that thehammer block 32 strikes or forces the card within the guide 23 againstthe type wheels 83 and an imprint of any suitable indicia is madethereon in a predetermined location with respect to the location of theaperture l8 in the card.

I preferably provide means for breaking the electric circuit energizingthe coil 61 slightly before or as soon as the imprint has been made, andto this end mount on the rotatable shaft 19 a.second bell crank 86 whichrevolves with the shaft 19 and simultaneously with the rotation of thebell crank 18. The bell crank 66 is provided with an arm 81 at itsextremity carrying a pin 68 designed to engage the lever 52 when thebell= crank 86 approaches theend of its movement.

The final movement of the bell crank 66 causes the pin 88 to engage thelever 52 and to lower the block 56 at the end of the lever by rotatingthe lever about its pivot pin 5| so that the block 56 then lies belowthe extremity of the lever 51. This moves the stop 53 away from the arm41 and tensions the spring 54. Since the block 51 then exercises nofurther restraint upon the lever 51, the spring 62 is effective toreturn the lever 51 to its position against the stop 6| and moves thecontact 59 from abutment with the contact 64 breaking the circuit andde-energizing the electromagnet 61.

When the coil 61 is de-energized, the core 12 drops gravitally and thepin 16 then comes into engagement with the upper extremity of theelongated slot 14 causes the lever 11 to rotate anti-clockwise, as seenin Figure 1, and to rotate the shaft 19. This movement removes thehammer block 82 from contact with the card, and likewise lifts the pin86 from the lever 52. The lever 52, however, is ineffective again toclose the circuit inasmuch as in its lifting or rising movement it abutsthe end of the lever 51 and has no force component effective to closecontacts 59 and 64, thus preventing more than one impression bypreventing another closure of the contacts, before all of the parts havereturned to their original or normal positions.

In accordance with my invention, I likewise provide a means forconditioning the card-6 or providing the card 6 with an additionalirregularity so that upon a subsequent insertion of the card into themachine, the additional irregularity will serve as a locating means fora subsequent imprint in column order with respect to the imprint justeffected. To this end, the bell crank 86 is provided with an arm 9|which at its upper end is slotted, as at 92, to receive a pin 93 at oneend of a plunger 94. The plunger 94 is translatable in a sleeve 96fastened to the guide 23 and at its forward end is designed to workthrough the guide 23 and to cooperate with a bore 95 in an anvil 88mounted onthe far' side of the guide 23. Upon movement of the plunger 94into and partially through the aperture 95 in the anvil 96, aninterposed card is perforated at a point such as 91, having apredetermined relationship to the previous perforation I 8 in the card,and likewise having a predetermined locational relationship to the nextarea I2 for receiving a successive indicia imprint.

Since the arms BI and M are mounted to rotate simultaneously with theshaft I9, the perforation 91 in the card 6 is made at about the sametime the hammer 82 causes an imprint thereon. The return movement tonormal position of the hammer 82.is likewise substantially accompaniedby a return movement of the plung- 'er 94 to its original position, thecard is therefore free from contact with any 'mechanism'projecting intoits path within the guide 23 except that the finger 44 is still engagedwith the aperture I8, under the urgency of spring 46.

In order that the card may be removed, I pref erably form the finger 44with a beveled lower face 98 having such an inclination or slope that anupward pull on the card serves to rotate the lever 42 in a clockwisedirection, as seen in Figure 1, against the urgency of spring 45 so thatthe card is easily removed. As the card is retracted upwardly the spring34 becomes eflective to rotate the lever 3| about the pin 32 so that thearm 36 again engages the arm 4| as the card is withdrawn and holds thefinger 44 out of the path defined by the guide 23. The mechanism is thenentirely restored to the inactive position of the parts as shown inFigure 1, and which is'the condition of the machine when there is nocard present in the guide 23.

As shown in Figure 6 the numeral wheels 83 preferably bear indicia IOIthereon which are normally inverted so that the machine first prints anindicium I9 in the area I2 in inverted order. When the card is nextinserted into the machine,

the lower irregularity or' aperture 91 causes an actuation of themachine to make an imprint I02 in the area I2 just below the area I2. Atthe time of imprint of the indicia 102 a successive aperture, I03, ismade below the aperture 91- The indicia I02 thus imprinted usually havea larger numerical value. Thus, when the card is inverted in order toread the indicia I9 and I02 in their usual upright order, the smallestnumber is lowermost and the largest number is uppermost to facilitatesubtraction or other arith-' metical operations. If such arrangement ofthe numbers is of no consequence, I prefer to provide the numeral wheelsI06, as shown in Figure be inserted into the machine and can beimprinted with indicia and further will .receive an ad- 4 ditionalirregularity so that a subsequent insertion of the card into the machinearranges the subsequent imprinted indicia in a predetermined and propercolumnar order with respect to the preceding imprint. Furthermore thecard is held firmly while the imprint is being eifected and themechanism is arranged so that only a single imprint can be made foreachsingle insertion of the card into the machine.

It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the form of thecard printer shown and described herein. as the invention, as set forthin thefollowlng claims may be embodied in a plurality of forms.

vI claim: 10

1. A card printer comprising a guide for a card, electrical means forcausing an imprint on a card in said guide, contacts controlling saidelectrical means, contact controlling means urged into the path 'of acard in said guide "and superior means for urging said contactcontrolling means out of said path.

2. A card printer comprising a guide for a card, electrical means forcausing an imprint on a card in said guide, contacts controlling saidelectrical means, contact controlling means urged into the path of acard in said guide and superior means on said path for urging saidcontact controlling means out of said path.

3. A card printer comprising a guide establishing a path for a card,means for causing an imprint on a card in said guide, means urged intosaid pathfor controlling said imprint causing means, and superior meansfor urging said second named means out of said path. a

4. A card printer comprising a guide establishing a path for a card,means for causingan imprint on a card in said guide, means urged intosaid path for controlling said imprint causing means, and superiormeans' in said path 10211111118 said second named means out of said pah.

5. A card printer comprising a guide establishing a path for a card,means for imprinting on a card in said guide, means urging into said 40path for controlling said imprinting means, and means renderedinoperative by a card in said path for urging said controlling means outof said path.

6. A card printer comprising a guide establishing a path fora card, anelectric circuit, contacts for controlling said circuit, means effectiveupon the closure of said circuit by said contacts for imprinting on acard in said guide, means movable to close said contacts and to projectinto said path, and means for urgng said movable means out of said path.

'7. A card printer comprising a guide estab- Y lishing a path for acard, an electric circuit, contacts for controlling said circuit, meanseffective upon the closure of said circuit by said contacts forimprinting on a card in said guide, means movable to close said contactsand to project into said path, and means in said path for urging saidmovable means out of said path.

8. A card printer comprising a guide establishing a path for a card, anelectric circuit, contacts for controlling said circuit, means effectiveupon the closure of said circuit by said contacts for imprinting on acard in said guide, means movable to close said contacts and to project.into said path, and means rendered inoperative by a card in said pathfor urging said movable means out of said path.

9. A card printer comprising a guide estab lishing a path for a card,means for imprinting a card in said guide. means in said path forcontrolling said imprinting means, and means rendered inoperative by acard in said path for urging said controlling means out of said path.

10. A card printer comprising a guide establishing a path for a card,means for imprinting a card in said guide, means effective whenoccupying a position in said path for energizing said imprinting means,and means rendered inoperative by a card in said path for urging saidenergizing means out of said path.

11. A card printer comprising a'guide establishing a path for a card,means for imprinting a card in said guide, means for preventingadvancement of a card in said path, means eflective in the absence ofsaid card from said path to render said preventing means inoperative andeffective during the presence of said card in said path to render saidpreventing means operative, and means to energize said imprinting meansduring the operation of said preventing means.

12. A card printer comprising a guide establishing a path for a card,means independent of the leading edge of said card for preventingadvancement-of said card in said path, and means for holding 'saidpreventing means normally inoperative but rendered effective upon theadvancement of a card in said path to release said preventing means foroperation.

13. A card printer for use with a card having an irregularity comprisingmeans for establishing a path for said card, means movable into and outor said path and responsive to said irregularity for preventingadvancement of said card in said path and for imprinting said card, andmeans adapted to be disabled by advancement of said card in said pathfor holding said movable means out of said path.

14. A card printer for use with a card having an irregularity comprisingmeans for imprinting said card in a position having a predeterminedrelationship to said irregularity, means for establishing a path forsaid card, means movable into and out of said path and responsive tosaid irregularity for preventing advancement of said card in said pathand for controlling said means for imprinting said card, and meansnormally in said path and effective to hold said responsive means out ofsaid path but displaceable out of said path -by said card advancing insaid path for releasing said responsive means to move into said path.

cam. M. F. mm.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No; 2,025,130. December 3, 1935.

CARL M. r. FRIDEN.

It is hereby certified that the above numbered patent was erroneouslyissued to "Kenneth S. Thomson, of Oakland, California, as trustee,"whereas said patent should have been issued to International BusinessMachines Corporation, New York N. Y., a corporation of New York, asassignee by mesne assignments of the entire interest in said invention,as shown by the records of assignments in this office and that the saidLetters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the samemay conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 17th day of March, A. D. 1936.

Leslie Frazer (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents;

